EvalGuard vs Promptfoo vs DeepEval — 2026 Comparison
Choosing the right LLM evaluation platform matters. The wrong choice means either cobbling together multiple tools or accepting gaps in your testing coverage. We put together this comparison to help you decide -- and yes, we will be honest about where competitors have advantages too.
Overview
EvalGuard
All-in-one platform covering evaluation, security, observability, FinOps, prompt management, and red teaming. 500+ features, 246 attack plugins, 145 scorers. Cloud-hosted with self-hosting option. Free tier with 50K traces/month.
Promptfoo
Open-source CLI-first evaluation tool with a focus on prompt testing and model comparison. Strong CI/CD integration. Primarily local execution with an optional cloud dashboard. Best known for its YAML-based test configuration.
DeepEval
Python-native evaluation framework focused on unit testing for LLMs. Integrates with pytest. Good for teams that want evaluation as part of their existing Python test suite. Cloud dashboard for collaboration.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | EvalGuard | Promptfoo | DeepEval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eval dataset runner | |||
| Built-in scorers | 135 | ~30 | ~14 |
| Custom scorers | |||
| Model comparison (side-by-side) | |||
| Red team / security scanner | 232 plugins | ||
| OWASP LLM Top 10 coverage | |||
| AI Gateway (routing/caching) | |||
| LLM firewall | |||
| Production observability | |||
| Trace visualization | |||
| FinOps / cost tracking | |||
| Prompt IDE | |||
| CI/CD integration | |||
| Python SDK | |||
| TypeScript SDK | |||
| Self-hosting option | |||
| SOC 2 / compliance reports | |||
| Team collaboration | |||
| SSO / RBAC |
Pricing Comparison
| Tier | EvalGuard | Promptfoo | DeepEval |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (50K traces) | $0 (local only) | $0 (local only) |
| Pro / Individual | $49/mo | $30/mo | $50/mo |
| Team | $199/mo | Custom | $300/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom |
EvalGuard's free tier is the most generous: 10,000 traces/month, access to all 135 scorers, 5 security scans/month, and unlimited eval runs. No credit card required. Promptfoo's free tier is local-only (no cloud dashboard). DeepEval's free tier is also local-only with limited cloud features.
At the Pro level, EvalGuard at $49/mo includes security scanning, observability, and the AI Gateway -- features that would require separate tools (and separate costs) with other platforms. See our full pricing page for details.
Best For Each Use Case
"I need to evaluate prompt quality before deploying"
All three platforms handle this well. Promptfoo excels at CLI-based prompt iteration with its YAML config. DeepEval integrates neatly with pytest. EvalGuard adds a web UI with 145 scorers and version-controlled prompt management.
"I need to security-test my LLM application"
EvalGuard is the clear choice here. 246 attack plugins covering the full OWASP LLM Top 10, automated multi-turn attacks, and compliance reporting. Promptfoo has basic red teaming. DeepEval does not offer security testing.
"I need to monitor LLMs in production"
EvalGuard provides full observability with trace visualization, anomaly detection, and real-time dashboards. DeepEval has basic monitoring. Promptfoo is primarily a pre-deployment tool.
"I need everything in one platform"
This is where EvalGuard stands alone. Evaluation + security + observability + gateway + FinOps + prompt management in a single platform. No other tool offers this breadth.
Honest Tradeoffs: What Competitors Do Better
We believe in honest comparisons. Here is where our competitors have genuine advantages:
- Promptfoo's CLI experience is best-in-class for developers who prefer working entirely in the terminal. Its YAML configuration is mature and well-documented. If you want a purely local, open-source eval tool and do not need security or monitoring, Promptfoo is excellent.
- DeepEval's pytest integration is seamless for Python-heavy teams. If your entire stack is Python and you want LLM evaluation to feel like writing unit tests, DeepEval makes that very natural.
- Both are open source. Their core evaluation engines are fully open. EvalGuard offers self-hosting but the core platform is not open source. For teams with strict open-source requirements, this matters.
Verdict
If you need a focused, open-source evaluation CLI, Promptfoo or DeepEval will serve you well. If you need a platform that covers evaluation, security, monitoring, cost management, and prompt engineering -- without stitching together 5 different tools -- EvalGuard is built for that.
The free tier includes enough to thoroughly evaluate the platform: 10,000 traces/month, all 145 scorers, 5 security scans, and unlimited eval runs. Try it and see how it compares for your specific workflow.
See the difference for yourself
500+ features. 145 scorers. 246 attack plugins. Free forever tier.